Massive changes. But please do not get too caught up in all the discord. It will pass. Things will stabilize. They always do. Though it seems that the chaos seems to go on and on, never ending, that is an illusion. Do not fret about it. Really. Do not worry about it.
I am serious.
Today, I want to relate a period in my life. This is a time when I (with my first wife) lived in Indiana, in the United States. It was the first couple of jobs after I left my training for MAJestic.
I had memories of the training, of course, but the significant of my training and my experiences didn’t register as anything unusual or special. I don’t know why it didn’t register with me, but it was really, nothing of importance.
So…
I began my “white” side of my life. The “black” side, of course was MAJestic, while I was involved in the public “white” side of my life. So thus began my career as an engineer. And thus began my two-personalty life.
All in the open fields of Indiana.
During this time, we lived in a mobile home. We drove a van, and later a distressed RX-7. And we had a couple of cats.
I have related various stories of this time. I related how we would visit the cemeteries. I related how I dealt with some of my cats. I wrote about how rude some of the low-class trailer park people (trash) would be.
Today, I want to relate how we would have picnics together during my lunch breaks. Ah. It was a special time. And I have some great memories from those times.
Oh, we were poor, or at best, lower middle class.
And in our 20’s. Living in a mobile home, and with cats. We were in a new area, and had no local friends or associates. All we had was each other.
And we made moments for each other…
For years, we would have picnics in the countryside. We would go to the nearby rural cemeteries, and my wife would wear a nice dress. Usually a tight-fitting party dress. At that time “a little black dress”, or a really “girly” high skirt dress.
Same as these pictures. Only my wife wore patterned 1980’s era dresses.
Of course, I wore my white shirt and tie (work clothes).
She would get made up, clean with makeup.
Oh yes, and you know, she would make a simple lunch. Usually sandwiches and salad and fruit and bread and cheese. We would bring our cat too. Who would have a fun time exploring the area.
Like these pictures.
Though, mostly it was just a blanket on the ground and a “Igloo cooler” with some food.
Not all that fancy as some of these staged pictures suggest.
We did this though most of the Spring, Summer and Fall. Never in the Winter.
And with Indiana, most of the days were glorious with bright blue skies, and quiet weekday life. We seemed to have the whole planet to ourselves. Everyone else were either at work, in traffic or eating fast food lunches.
Not us.
We were having a picnic.
My lunch was only for an hour, but I would take two hours. And I have no regrets.
No regrets.
No matter what my boss thought.
Wonderful memories from those days.
I highly recommend it.
These are the memories that I will treasure to the day that I die and then afterwards as well.
If you have an opportunity, make your life special. To Hell what other people think. Live your life on your terms.
There!
Today…
Is China blaming the US for their problems and economic slowdown?
No, China is not.
The Chinese deal with their own problems differently by solving the root cause of the problem realistically. They don’t have time to blame the problem on anyone.
Remember that the modern Chinese are pragmatic scientists and engineers who follow the Dialectical Materialism as the worldview and methodology of the Chinese Communists. They learn to grasp the principle that the world is unified in matter and that matter determines consciousness, and insist on formulating policies and promoting work based on objective reality.
Please stop treating the Chinese like three years old kids who are not able to think logically.
Why the World Is Turning Away from the US Dollar
Actually the way he broke it down is GREAT.
What is the most a restaurant has ever done for you after messing up your order?
My husband and I took our son to Capital Grille in Austin for his graduation. After we ordered, we sat and talked quite happily for some time without worrying about our food. After a long time, we noticed that the people behind us, who’d not been served when we arrived, were leaving with doggy bags. We saw the large party across the room that had arrived at least 30 minutes after us, being served. When I checked, it had been over an hour since we’d ordered. We called the waiter over. He seriously looked at us in surprise, like, “Who are you people and why don’t I remember you?”
We politely asked where our food was and he hurried to the kitchen. He came back with some lame excuse and some champagne. Then he came back with a camera and took pictures of us toasting our son. Then he came back with a plate of appetizers we hadn’t ordered. Next the manager came over. He apologized profusely and said our orders would be right up. As we ate, he came over and asked how everything was. Then he said, “Don’t forget to select some desserts.” My husband, said, “Sure, but they better not be on the bill.” The response: “There will be no bill.”
The tab (which included the two rounds of drinks we had at the bar before being seated) was well over $300. Comped. And, we got $150 in gift cards to use at any Capital Grille. We were more than satisfied!
Back to the Future – 1950s Super Panavision 70
What is the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA) and how is it affecting inbound shipments from China and countries outside of China?
While the U.S. presents its drone restrictions under the UFLPA as a moral stance, the reality points to a strategic move to curb China’s tech growth. Let’s be real—restricting Chinese drones under the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA) feels more like a political stunt than a genuine effort to address human rights. Sure, the Act claims to combat forced labor, but come on, applying it to tech sectors like drones? That raises eyebrows. Companies like DJI have always played by the rules, maintaining transparency and high standards. It looks like the U.S. just wants to knock some competition out of the ring.
The idea of forced labor in Xinjiang is shameless slander. There’s no concrete evidence tying it to the drone industry. It feels like the U.S. is waving the human rights flag as a smokescreen to slow down China’s tech progress. And here’s the kicker—these restrictions are going to hurt American consumers the most. Drones are used in so many fields, from farming to real estate to emergency services. Cutting out affordable, high-quality Chinese drones means higher costs and fewer options for everyone.
Now let’s talk geopolitics. By using trade policy as a weapon under the guise of human rights, the U.S. is risking major fallout. It’s like they’re trying to destabilize the whole global supply chain. Alienating China, a key player in high-tech sectors, is just asking for trouble. Plus, it sets a dangerous precedent. If other countries start following suit, retaliating, we could be looking at a much more unstable world market.
These moves aren’t just hurting China; they’re backfiring on the U.S. Cutting out competition usually means innovation grinds to a halt. Sure, you might think you’re protecting your market, but actually, you’re just sticking yourself with less innovation and higher prices. How does that make any sense?
In the grand scheme of things, the UFLPA restrictions on Chinese drones seem less about forced labor and more about curbing China’s rise in the tech world. The U.S. is playing a risky game, one that could mess up global partnerships essential for future progress and innovation. Instead of actually addressing human rights, this approach just stirs the pot without solving anything.
So, in the end, these U.S. restrictions are more of a tactical play against China’s tech growth than a genuine bid to combat forced labor. It’s a move that hurts American consumers, disrupts global trade, and risks escalating international tensions. If we’re talking about what’s best for progress and innovation, this isn’t it.
“I forgo the vengeance of my son” | The meeting of the five families | The Godfather | CLIP
What surprised you when your husband died?
Several things.
1st. We had just moved from New Mexico to Hawaii with my job. We knew no one except each other, my 18 year old daughter, and my sponsor (who was out of the country at the time). I worked for the military, and made contact with my command. My husband was in a coma for a week before I gave permission to remove life support. Not a single person came to the hospital or checked on me or my daughter. Not even the Chaplain.
2nd. His family told everyone that I took him away from them, then killed him. Wow. They wholeheartedly believed they were due the life insurance money. Life insurance that I insisted he obtain, and that I paid for. His son’s Mom was the only one grateful to me because I took care of the social security paperwork so herbson could receive survivor’s benefits, which were actually more than child support had been.
3rd. He always said he wanted to be cremated and have his ashes scattered in his home state of North Carolina. His family said I left them nowhere to go grieve. I offered to erect a headstone in their family plot. They have none. Their folks are all buried in pauper’s graves scattered across the state, none have a headstone.
4th. He was a member of a motorcycle club in NC. Those guys continue to love me unconditionally. They invite me to their parties although I have never lived near enough to attend. They keep me in the know of what’s going on with the members I know, and have introduced me virtually to many more of them. They have always fully supported me and told his family to step away. I absolutely adore these guys.
China’s New Drone Tech Scared Its Own Army
New and amazing.
Between China and South Korea, who’s stealing whose culture?
I don’t mean to send hate to South Korea but some Koreans’ thinking is just getting out of hand…
First of all, China is one of the big 4 longest civilizations in the recorded history with around 5000 years. China is the only one in East Asia. Being such a big nation in history, it is very well known that its cultural influences are spread across neighboring countries, especially Japan, Korean and Vietnam. Why does China still need to ‘steal’ Korean’s culture?
Koreans have been using Chinese as written forms for over 1000 years until 600 years ago. Till now, they are still using Chinese characters to give meaning to each Korean character as Korean character itself doesn’t consist of meaning. I am not sure if their national ID card still shows Chinese nowadays but if not, its tradition is only removed for some time only. Their last name are basically Chinese surnames: Lee, Song, Kim, Choi etc, are all pronounced very similarly to Chinese. Korean has lots of loanwords from Chinese. Apart from written language, Korean architecture is greatly influenced by Han and Tang dynasty. You can still see temples in Chinese style with Chinese words everywhere and some of them are even top tourist spots. Korean was once vassal state of China and needed to send tribute to Chinese emperors every year in exchange of protection. Koreans have been learning Chinese culture all throughout the history, from culinary (paocai→Kimchi, use of chopsticks etc), clothing (Hanfu→Hanbok) to philosophy (Confucianism, Taichi etc) and political and educational system (in government only as ordinary people weren’t allowed or couldn’t afford to study). These culture still remains in modern days.
Even there are many written records even by Korean scholars claiming they were descendants of Chinese king and called themselves ‘little China’. South Korean flag was designed by a Chinese official and based on Chinese philosophy – Tai Chi. Lunar calendar was invented by Chinese and there are still distinguished festivals following Chinese Lunar calendar. In Chinese, we have Chinese New Year, Dragon Boat Festival and Mid-Autumn Festival. In Korea, they have Lunar New Year, The Gangneung and Chusok. Though the celebration may differ from each other, those Korean festivals are the exact same date as Chinese’s 3 big festivals. If they are celebrating something different, why set it on the same date as Chinese? They all come from Chinese festivals and develop into their own style only.
Honestly, a random Chinese would not feel anything negative and instead feel happy Koreans help spread the culture and develop to its unique ones until South Korean applied some of these to World Heritage and UNSECO. Do all you want but you are denying any Chinese influence and claim they are unique and original which is wrong and shows no respect. Plus the anti China sentiment provoked by South Korean government and media, the arguments become fierce and hostile. They attacked China for having Chinese to wear Korean costumes Hanbok in Winter Olympics but those Chinese are Korean ethnical minority group and have all right to preserve their Korean culture to wear Hanbok. Ultra-nationalist even claim otherwise that Korean’s history is longer than China, infamous Chinese scholars came from Korea, Chinese stole Korean culture etc. I do believe not many Koreans believe in these nonsense but it’s obvious that their government and people have been trying hard to undermine Chinese influence and bringing up herself as a great and respected nation among world powers.
I somewhat understand why South Korea wants to stand up for herself so much. She experienced a distinctive economic growth and her products and brands like Samsung, LG, beauty products become internationally well known. Plus, the soft power from Kpop, Kdrama and Webtoon have made South Korea a famous country in Asia. This is great! Other people including myself should be happy about it. But the way they want to be ‘unique’ and ‘strong’ is disrespectful and offensive. Let’s speak some fact. Having been a small nation and once a vassal state of a country who failed to defeat Western powers and even lost in humiliation, South Korea didn’t want to associate herself with China and took her step to side with the biggest nation, the U.S. It’s not hard to understand her move. But South Korea probably didn’t expect China to develop into the world’s 2nd largest economy that quick. China was once the biggest power in Asia. Though she suffered and showed the world her weaknesses in 19th century, with the biggest population, vast land and numerous natural resources, China would be back in the line of world’s power one day and she did. With the smart and dedicated government, say all you want, Chinese people got out of poverty gradually and become one of the world’s power in terms of political stance, economy size and military. Its scientific development has also caught up with the U.S and Russia, leading the whole Asia again. Back to the topic, China is the biggest economic partner of South Korea.
Given all these, please tell me why China feels the need to steal Korean culture? South Korea is a very small country only. She can’t even handle the affairs with North Korea properly and is happy to be vassal state AGAIN. This time, her master is the U.S.
Speaking about their soft power, are these very unique and originated in Korea? Kpop is heavily based on Western especially black music. Its system followed Jpop and re-developed only. K-drama is modern day product. Webtoon is Korean version of Japanese Manga. Even their nation pride BTS is still called ‘some Chinese boys’. I would give it to South Korean that they learned from others and developed in her own ways and are successful in making them well known or even better. Just like how they incorporated Chinese culture and influence to make nowadays Korea. However, saying Chinese steal their history and culture is a BIG no. Chinese should also show respect and take away our extreme pride and be humble. We are also big consumers of South Korean modern culture and we love it too.
Self-Proclaimed Poly Gal THROWS FIT As Men Keep Treating Her Like An Escort!
Outside
Submitted into Contest #247 in response to: Imagine a world where exploration is forbidden, and write a story about a character who defies this rule to satisfy their innate curiosity.… view prompt
TE Wetzel
This story contains themes or mentions of physical violence, gore, or abuse.
US Panic: Washington Tells Brazil To Dump China As US Treasuries Crash From Spending DANGER
MM AI generations
Fried Liver and Onions
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients
- 1/2 pound bacon
- 1 pound onions, sliced
- 1 pound baby beef liver
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups beef broth
Instructions
- Heat oven to 200 degrees F.
- Fry bacon and drain, reserving bacon grease. Keep bacon warm in oven.
- Return 2 tablespoons bacon grease to same skillet, and over medium-high heat, saute onions until translucent; add more bacon grease 1 tablespoon at a time, if needed. Remove onions to oven to keep warm.
- Return remaining bacon grease to skillet. Coat liver in flour, and sear in skillet over medium-high heat, watching carefully. As soon as liquid seeps to top of meat, turn and cook 2 minutes on other side. Remove meat to oven to keep warm.
- Sprinkle remaining flour into hot skillet, and stir constantly until flour begins to brown, then add broth. Boil for 1 minute, then reduce heat and simmer 1 minute longer.
- Pour gravy over liver and onions, and sprinkle crumbled bacon on top or lay strips of bacon on top.
Why The Philippines Fell Behind In Asia: Lee Kuan Yew (ft. Singapore-Philippine Relations)
The Well and the Tower
Submitted into Contest #243 in response to: Write a story where time functions differently to our world.… view prompt
Deimantas Saladžius
As my tongue slid over my cracked lips, a gnawing saltiness invaded my mouth. Yet, my lips remained dry. I took a sip from the bottle. I held it against my lips, but kept my mouth shut. After withdrawing the bottle, I circled reachable areas with my tongue several times. What I managed to gather, I swallowed. It was probably the last few drops of water within several tens of kilometers, so without hesitation, I hid the bottle.
The well offered some relief from the heat. I was grateful for that much. I checked the ground—crumbled into tiny grains of sand at the slightest touch. I poured some water into a makeshift cup, resembling a castle turret. My hands trembled as I attempted to clean them. My gaze slid along the walls of the well.
At the very top were concrete rings, already showing signs of wear. I installed metal footholds in each section to make climbing easier. The rings themselves were the fruits of my father’s labor. He had tirelessly excavated the plot to revive the well, which never ran dry even in the hottest summer, and tests confirmed the water’s quality. I never delved into why it was so important for him to dig a well. Only a few phrases, uttered by my drunken father, remained. How his own grandfather had covered up that well because he believed it was a cursed place. But that didn’t deter my father.
Beyond the rings lay layers of smooth stones. Some stones protruded, forming a spiral staircase. Unfortunately, few steps remained intact, so I installed a rope elevator at this level. Constructing this stone wall must have been exhausting and slow work. I admired this labor — stone upon stone was evidence of past order. An order in which man and nature lived in harmony.
The deepest layer was supposed to contain remnants of the oldest ages. Once fallen and turned into dust, stone splinters. Something already unrecognizable, invisible. Yet, what I saw was quite the opposite—objects gleamed invitingly, and even the scent hinted at novelty. The walls were solid concrete, with ledges resembling human skin. Self-expanding, chromed rods guarded against collapse, serving as the longest screw-like stairs. Inspired by the work of my ancestors, I decided that a screw structure was necessary, not just for convenience, but out of necessity—this layer was the deepest and widest, so lifts and ladders wouldn’t suffice.
Standing at the bottom, I often imagined the well as a tower. The tower offered hope. Just like that. Upwards—better than downwards. And a tower can stand empty, but a well… At the same time, this image was frightening. The tower altered perception. It was essential to understand that I was the one who, instead of extending the structure and making the tower even higher, transformed what was already there. The one who disrupts the former order and turns the past into his life. What then remains of the past if you inhabit it?
I climbed the metal rungs, realizing I hadn’t done everything. Leaning my back against the well wall, I wedged my feet into the ladder. I pulled out two coins from the inner pocket of my suit. Holding one object in each palm, I weighed the choice between one and the other. Both fates were uncertain. Well, I had to act accordingly—it was time to play blind. Placing both objects in my hands, I flipped them, then with my right hand, I picked the winner. The coin bore the inscription “Gediminas Castle Tower.” The result surprised me, but I didn’t dare change my decision. All I could hope for was that it would turn out for the best. Flicking my fingers, I released the spinning coin to where it belonged.
***
Early in the morning, I had finished mowing the lawn, so the scent of freshly cut grass wafted through the estate. Wiping sweat away, I glanced towards the terrace where a cold, now probably lukewarm, carbonated drink awaited. I had hoped to relax a bit after mowing the lawn and before preparing breakfast. But plans changed. Still, I didn’t grumble. I knew I had to be here with my father now. It was a rare moment when we both knew what to do. A rare moment when we didn’t feel like strangers to each other, when there was no awkwardness being together.
I stood just a good step away from the well. Curses and the sound of crumbling concrete echoed. A beam lay across the diameter of the ring, supporting the lowered ladder. Sometimes the structure shifted. I knew that with the ladder against the wall, the weight distributed, but still, the beam seemed like it could collapse at any moment.
“Mikai, come closer,” my father shouted.
Carefully squatting, I squinted to see my father. He was on his knees, standing on the ladder steps but not holding onto them. To maintain balance, he pressed his back against the wall. His free hands were working on the connection of two pipes. One pipe led to the hydrophore, the other to the bottom of the well. I tried to imagine myself in that situation—I would probably plunge into the water in an instant. The thought of momentarily relaxing my body and then falling without support made me shudder.
“Here, look, Mikai, we’ve cleaned the filter, but there’s still no water in the pipe,” my father said, lifting the pipe. “Hold on, we’ll have to fill it manually. Maybe then we’ll have enough pressure.”
I grabbed the pipe with my hands. Above the last ring, my father’s head appeared, but he didn’t climb higher. His clenched fist emerged.
“Take the bands and don’t drop them.”
I hadn’t yet understood what he meant when I saw two small rubber bands in his palm, hovering over the dark water. At the same time, I tried to grip the pipe tightly to prevent it from slipping. The pipe slid, and then, with both hands, I grabbed what needed saving. Two small black rubber bands plummeted into darkness. I saw my father’s angry look from the well.
“Fuck, Mikai, if this continues, we’ll never fix this damn hydrophore,” I lowered my eyes and said nothing.
My father climbed, banging the ladder, and then the beam creaked. It was just one crack, but instinct kicked in—my father immediately jumped off the ladder and hung onto the well railing. Kicking the rungs with his feet, the whole structure shook with a terrible clang as it plummeted downwards. I heard my father trying to lean against the well and push himself to the other side, but his feet kept slipping. With fearful eyes, he looked for a way out. He called me. He asked me to reach out. And I did nothing. I was afraid to intervene, afraid to do something wrong again. So, I just stood there and waited until he climbed out of the well himself.
My father slipped again. He cursed loudly. Not seeing any other way out, he decided to save himself however he could. With all his might, he hoisted himself over the well railing and tried to grab me. Perhaps he hoped I would stay on my feet, and when he pulled me up, we would both climb out together. Unfortunately, acting on some instinct, I suddenly resisted and recoiled. My father’s hand brushed my shirt sleeve, but his fingers didn’t grasp in time. This action caused me to lose my balance. And then my body slipped from the railing.
I heard a loud splash in the water below. Running to the railing, my father’s head emerged from the water. He began coughing and spitting out water.
“Fuck, it’s lucky there’s so much water this year,” he exclaimed. “But my arm will break, as I hit that damn ladder. Mikai, go to Salvijus.”
I was about to do as told when I noticed the water next to my father bubbling vigorously, and something splashed beneath the surface.
“What now?” my father exclaimed, surprised and alarmed.
Something tapped my father’s leg. Weakly, as if checking. The next tap was stronger—my father disappeared entirely under the water, but quickly resurfaced. Gripped by fear, he tried to climb up the hydrophore pipe, but it snapped, and the water collected in the pump tank began pouring out. The last tap was fatal. His body vanished. The water churned and moved for a while. After a few minutes, it calmed down.
First, with the help of local men, neighbor Salvijus descended into the well. By then, the water level had significantly dropped. Salvijus got soaked only up to his armpits, but he couldn’t feel the body. In the evening, the firefighters arrived. There was no need to go down anymore. Just shining a spotlight was enough—there was no water or body in the well. At the bottom lay the ladder, which the rescuers pulled up with a hook, not yet seeing the need to descend.
Everyone thought I had made it up. But I didn’t push or insist. I just muttered something about a state of shock. The rescuers inspected the shed, cellar, and corners of the house. They also checked the wells of neighboring estates, where water was abundant. Finding nothing, they said my father would return soon. Until then, I had to stay with Salvijus. Mom tried to rush back as soon as possible—she was waiting for a connecting flight at some airport.
I said I wouldn’t go anywhere until I was lowered into the well. It annoyed me that the rescuers were inactive. It was obvious—my father’s disappearance and the water were related. I started crying and hitting. They had no choice but to lower me into the well with a rescuer. When we descended, beneath the last concrete ring, I saw something shining. It was a Gediminas Castle coin from my father’s collection. Financially, it was almost worthless, but it was the one that started his collection. My father kept his collection locked in a safe, arranged in albums and in cases, so finding the coin in the well was unequivocally strange.
“This is evidence that my father fell into the water,” I told the rescuer.
Uncle Salvijus also knew about my father’s collection, so he went to check the albums. He returned with the same coin and dropped it into the well to convince himself. The coins were similar, almost identical, except for a few differences. The well coin was more worn out, not shiny for a long time, while the other coin sparkled as if freshly minted. Another difference was even more striking. The reverse of the found coin had the word “castle” scratched off. It didn’t look like ordinary wear and tear. Was this a message from my father?
It was getting dark, so it was getting cold. My clothes were wet and muddy. The rescuer was no longer beside me. Only a shovel and a spotlight remained. I still held the coins tightly in my fist. I put them in my pocket. I started digging. It seemed like the only logical thing to do.
Working with a shovel was not easy. I quickly started sweating, my head spinning. The rescuers, from time to time, shone the light to check if I hadn’t given up. I had become quite a nuisance to them. I felt hotter and hotter. There was a lack of air, my vision blurred. I felt nauseous. Finally, my body gave way, and I slumped into the wet sand pit.
Once my father took me to see Gediminas Castle. I sat at the entrance to the museum and cried. My father tried to explain complex things like history and the changes in the world. I felt deceived. I didn’t understand why one should promise things that don’t exist. Suppressing my anger, I sat down and began scooping sand with my hands. I piled sand into little heaps, slapped to form towers, and dug trenches with my fingers.
“What are you doing here?” my father asked.
“I’m building a castle,” I replied and sniffled, wiping my running nose.
***
I pulled out my water bottle again. Damn it, it was empty. I placed the bottle on the ledge, and it accelerated and flew into the depths of the well. I waited for the echo of the splash. But I heard nothing! I lay on my stomach, slithered towards the edge, and peered over, only to see the rings shimmering. Without hesitation, I plunged headfirst into the darkness and the cold. My hair came alive, and my skin began to tingle. I rose to the surface, spluttering water. I coughed, gasped, but didn’t stop. At least regaining minimal vitality, I contemplated — dive or not. I remembered the coin, the fate already cast. I took a deep breath and submerged.
I had no tools, not even a flashlight, so I swam in complete darkness, feeling that I would soon run out of air. Just as I was about to turn back, unexpectedly, I reached the other side. I didn’t even feel how it happened — I broke through a gap in the rungs and then saw light above the well. I was panicking, feeling the lack of air, but accidentally my hand touched the oxygen mask and tank hooked on the rungs. I put on the gear. I took several deep breaths, and after a while, I breathed slowly and calmly.
I lifted my eyes upwards. Something was floating on the surface. I swam a little closer and gently tapped to check if it was real. My body tensed. I tried to move as little as possible, not wanting to disturb the water. Still disbelieving, I wanted to see for myself. So, I grabbed the person by the legs and dunked them headfirst. His sneaker slipped off, but I managed to catch a glimpse of the face. Through the haze, I remembered the horror of my childhood. The urge to turn around, not to cause myself pain. But the sequence of events was the same…
I had to hurry because I didn’t know how much time I had. I heard my father fall into the water when he couldn’t hold onto the pump tube. I rose slightly and, gripping my father’s legs tightly, I dived with all my might. My father resisted. I took off the oxygen mask and tried to put it on him. I wanted to show that I meant no harm. My father momentarily calmed down. We floated towards each other. Perhaps he recognized me? I was glad we couldn’t talk right now.
My father removed the mask and handed it to me, along with the oxygen tank. I took the gear. My father began to swim upwards. I grabbed him again by the legs and pushed downwards. He resisted. I removed the oxygen mask and tried to put it on him again. He tried to resist again. I held onto his leg and accidentally pulled off another sneaker. Then he attacked me with all his might.
As we struggled, we ended up at the bottom. My father wedged one leg against the well wall and pressed my free limbs with his other leg and arms. The oxygen mask also ended up with my father. I was running out of breath and had no strength to fight. My head fell to the side. Involuntarily, I glanced at the coin stuck under the grate. I noticed distinct rust marks on the coin’s reverse. The coin looked even older, as if it had been waiting for its fate for decades. I raised my head to take a closer look. It wasn’t the one I had thrown with the spell… It was a scratched coin! The letters were just an illusion—someone had already planned the whole sequence of events.
I began to look around to see if there was anyone else hiding in the well. There was nothing else except a relatively large, black cavity beneath the rungs. It was right next to me. I reached in with my hand and felt a heavy stone, which I squeezed tightly in my fingers. At the same time, someone else’s fingers gripped my wrist. I reached out with my hand to try and free myself, but my limb was pulled even harder. I struggled with two at once now. I exhaled the last breath from my lungs. My eyes dimmed. Suddenly, I felt the fingers of the other person release my hand. And then, pulling with all my might, I dragged the one who had been holding me. It was my father.
I floated on the surface, staring at the stars, while the water reflected the celestial bodies. The well was sparkling right up to the top ring. I heard the water system still pumping water into the cisterns, generously watering the greenhouses. Occasionally, someone would touch me, and I would push them away. It was my father’s body, which I didn’t want to see.
I started laughing out loud. I couldn’t stop and accidentally swallowed water. I coughed and continued to laugh. I laughed at my own naivety. Just like in childhood, I believed that I could restore what had changed and disappeared.
Suddenly, unable to bear it, I jumped out of the well. I tore off my clothes and grabbed the first dry rags I could find, starting to dry myself. I made sure there wasn’t a single drop of wetness on my body. Horrible thoughts about destroying all the equipment plagued my mind. With difficulty, I pushed these thoughts away.
Meanwhile, the desire to fix, restore, redeem, cancel, change only grew.
The MoA Week In Review – OT 2024-257
Last week’s posts on Moon of Alabama:
Color Revolutions:
- Oct 21 – “Democracy” in Moldova
Related:
– Georgian Rural Voters Care More About Grape Prices Than Geopolitics – RFE/RL
– Georgian Election Commission’s preliminary results put ruling party at 54% – Agenda.ge
– Republic of Georgia’s Ruling Party Claims Election Victory – New York Times
> The opposition, which has been divided into four main political forces, had claimed victory before preliminary results of exit polls were announced. <
U.S. Election:
- Oct 22 – Election Musings
Related:
– Neocons Circling Trump Campaign – Consortium News
– Election Exclusive: British Advisors to Kamala Harris Hope to “Kill Musk’s Twitter” – Disinformation Chronicle
– How Does AIPAC Shape Washington? We Tracked Every Dollar. – Intercept
Ukraine:
- Oct 23 – Ukraine – Zelenski Begs Russia To Renew Deals He Had Botched
- Oct 26 – How Russia Is Overwhelming Ukrainian Frontlines
Related:
– How A False Flag Massacre Led To The Proxy War In Ukraine – The 307
– Ukrainian incursion in Kursk struggles as Russians retake territory – Washington Post
– Putin claims to have received “secret proposal” from Ukraine – Pravda.ua
BRICS:
- Oct 25 – BRICS Sensation No. 1 – India’s Turn From U.S. To China
Related:
– Factors Underlying Sino-Indian Rapprochement At BRICS – Analysis – Eurasia Review
– BRICS 2024 Kazan Special Coverage – Simplicius
– The times are a-changing and the BRICS Summit is a major factor – Gilbert Doctorrow
Palestine:
- Oct 25 – What Has Israel Achieved In The Last Year? – by Arch Bungle
Related:
– How Israel is preparing for a long regional war – Middle East Eye
– Summary. Of Israel attack on Iran – Reminiscence of the Future …
– Why Did Israel Just Launch a Tiny Attack on Iran? Three Major Possibilities – Military Watch
– Hezbollah proving a formidable foe against Israeli forces in Lebanon – Washington Post
– ‘The Entire Population of North Gaza Is at Risk of Dying’: UN Relief Official – Middle East Eye
—
Other issues:
China:
- The Diminishing Prospects for U.S.-China Détente – National Interest
- China fortifies resource security with strategic mineral, energy reserve gains – SCMP
- The Effectiveness of U.S. Economic Policies Regarding China Pursued from 2017 to 2024 – RAND
Zio-Europe:
- In Britain, Palestine and climate activists face an ‘unprecedented’ wave of criminalisation – Middle East Eye
- Anti-Zionist beliefs ‘worthy of respect’, UK tribunal finds – Guardian
- Germany’s Greens need to be denazified – Electronic Intifada
Miscellaneous:
- How Europe’s New Political Class Began Rejecting Reality – Glenn Diesen
- Another Nobel for Anglocentric Neoliberal Institutional Economics – JomoDevPlus
- Top-ranking Russians and Germans set to gather in Baku spurring rumors the Petersburg Dialogue is back on – RMX
Use as open (not related to the wars in Ukraine and Palestine) thread …
Posted by b on October 27, 2024 at 13:15 UTC | Permalink
Shocking Truth About China Told by an American | Cyrus Janssen
China’s military expenditure accounts for only 1.19% of its GDP. Do you think it is necessary to increase this to 2%, similar to the requirement NATO has set for its member states, given the current international environment?
It’s foolish to hold this percentage of GDP as a standard for Military Defense Spending
For a Nation like China which is a Global Manufacturing Giant that dominates a lot of supply chains and where 72% Military and Defense Contractors are Joint Ventures Or State Owned – Profit is almost always capped at 20 times the cumulative inflation or 30% whichever is lesser
This comes to around 6% in H1 2024
Meanwhile for US and Europe where near 90% of the Contractors are Private – the Profit for the last 5 years was roughly 32.6%
Translation is :-
PLA for $ 10 Million can procure 30 Ballistic Missiles whereas NATO for the same $ 10 Million can procure 8 Ballistic Missiles
PLA for $ 10 Million can procure 250 Attack Drones while NATO can procure 50 Attack Drones for the same budget
PLA for $ 100 Million can procure 8 Fifth Generation Aircraft whereas NATO can maybe acquire 3 such aircraft
Assuming 40% budget goes into Equipment and Weapons procurement – this means that for the same dollar number – China can acquire between 4–5 units for every 1 unit that NATO can acquire
Thus $ 230 Billion is actually $ 92 Billion plus $ 138 Billion
This $ 92 Billion is equivalent of $ 368 Billion to $ 460 Billion in terms of procurement power
So a realistic equivalent of the PLA Budget is $ 138 Billion + $ 368/$ 460 Billion = $ 506 – $ 578 Billion
The US spends $ 900 Billion on Defense
Of this around 40% or $ 360 Billion is spent on Weapons Procurement and Equipment Procurement
On a Dollar to Dollar Basis – this means US is spending between 78% to 97% of what the PLA is spending on Equipment and Weapons
So frankly despite having 1% of Bases and focusing their strength entirely on the Mainland, Parts of Asia and the South China Sea – the PLA is spending more on weapons and equipment than the entire US for all their theatres, bases and all over the Globe
So please dont see the percentage of GDP and look at $ 900 Billion vs $ 230 Billion and presume PLA is a fourth of the Size of the US
It’s $ 360 Billion vs $ 368/$ 460 Billion
Likewise Europe collectively spend € 272 Billion on Defense or $ 294 Billion
Of this around $ 117 Billion is spent on Weapons Procurement
Russia spends around $ 93 Billion on Defense of which around $ 45 Billion is spent on Weapons Procurement (During Conflict, upto 80% Military Budget enhancement is for new weapons procurement)
Yet again because Russian Defense Industry is State Owned and Jointly Owned and Profits are capped – costs are a third of what it costs Europe for the same procurement
Thus $ 45 Billion is equivalent to $ 130–135 Billion and is greater than what ALL OF EUROPE SPENDS COMBINED
So adding Russia and China – You get an equivalent procurement of $ 500 Billion a year minimum against $ 477 Billion for all of NATO combined
Yet there are only Seven Conflict Zones for Russia and China – Russia, Black Sea, South China Sea , Himalayas , Arctic Circle, Syria & Sea of Japan against more than 60 for NATO
It’s not China that’s gotta spend more. It’s NATO that’s gotta spend a minimum $ 300 Billion more to keep up the military supremacy
Not to mention the production time and the number of personnel in Europe, US versus Russia and China
What was the scariest thing you saw while scuba diving?
About to start a simple shore drive in Jordan many decades ago, dive guide taken up with explaining bits of dive site to a couple of well equipped photographing divers, two other newly arrived American novice divers whom I (as a BSAC advanced diver), was going to ‘keep an eye on’ – a 30-something couple, who had ‘forgotten to bring their certification’, but blagged OK (pre internet days). they’d nodded sagely through the briefing – 15m max without a long swim so they couldn’t get in too much trouble – managed to kit up without too much help (‘different tank connection’) – we later realised they had probably carefully watch divers kitting up somewhere and thought ‘we could do that’,
There was enough gentle slope to walk backwards into the water with fins on and get floating before the drop-off.
Fortunately, (other three just floated over the dropoff & submerging) and just as I was about to put my reg in and signal to the two ‘novices’ to inflate their BCDs more and do the same, I overheard the wife, as she lifted held the BC inflator mouthpiece to her lips, whisper to her husband “I know that this is to breath in from, but how do I breath out?”
They were in 1.2m of water, but about to go over a 3m drop-off with uninflated BCDs and not a F*****g clue between them.
Scared? I almost s**t myself.
Best I could think of was to shout “SHARK” and “get to shore quickly”.
They tried, fell over , spluttered , flailed about, lost one fin each, I jump/swam across to them, inflated their BCDs, they swore, flapped, floundered , scrabbled ashore and tried to roll frantically up the beach away from the shark infestation. Then lay panting like beached whales. Wifey screamed “You said there were no sharks!”.
They demanded their money back and swore they’d have us arrested. Demanded to be driven back 5 miles to the hotel immediately. they were SO pissed when we slung their gear back in the van and said they could sit in the blazing sun until we’d had our dives, or they could pay for those as well’
Has a doctor ever been disgusted by something they saw on a patient?
Some years ago my left ear canal began itching, and I could sense fluid in the canal. This progressively got worse, and then spread to my other ear. For most of two years my hearing was impacted because one of both ears were stopped up.
I have always been fastidious about keeping my ear canals clean. I probably overdid that trying to clear the buildup, but it only made it worse. I visited my primary care doctor who was no help. He suggested I use OTC ear wax remover. That was not effective. I could not keep my ear canals free of was no matter what I tried. My hearing was significantly reduced.
Finally I made an appointment with an ENT doctor. That doctor check both ears, then asked me a few questions. Then she said “You just have a hygiene problem”. I was gobsmacked! I walked out angry.
The summer before all this started I had a routine physical with a doctor I had never used before. He examined my ears and remarked “You have the cleanest ear canals I have ever seen.”
A week after this ENT visit, still miserable and half-deaf, I went to the local Care Now office a few blocks from home. The young doctor that examined me must have been just out of med school, maybe he was a NP. He took about 4 minutes to decide “Looks like you have swimmers ear” and wrote me a prescription for antibiotic ear drops. I went home, used the drops and within 2 days was back to normal.
Two Worlds Collide
Submitted into Contest #243 in response to: Write a story about a character who wakes up in space.… view prompt
Kathy Walsh
South Korea has decided to openly fight with Russia?!
By Marat Khairullin
Zinderneuf
Oct 25, 2024
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol speaks during a joint press conference with Poland's President Andrzej Duda (not seen in the photo) at the Presidential Office in Seoul, South Korea, Thursday.
Now it has become clear why the North Korea issue is being actively stirred up during the SMO. South Korea is sending its soldiers and officers to fight in Ukraine. Let me remind you that South Korea is a passionate, evil six of the USA (slang for “lackey”- in Russia, 6 is the lowest numbered card in a deck of cards). They are not as smart as Japan, but not as dumb as the Ukraine. Most importantly, they are high-tech.
Southerners, starting from the time of the first Korean War, participated in all military conflicts of the USA, including the Vietnam War. And everywhere they distinguished themselves by cruelty and ruthlessness. In the first months of the SMO, South Korea sent the widest range of military products to the Ukrainians – from shells (almost a million units) to dry rations. Also, of course, they sent materials for assembling UAVs. The direct participation of the South Korean military in operations in Ukraine was only a matter of time.
Last week, the first 16 pilots from South Korea’s 19th Air Wing arrived at NATO’s Romanian air base near Mihail Kogalniceanu. Apparently, South Korea sent the first squadron of the air wing, the most prepared and combat-ready, to the war in full force. This means they are planning to throw them into battle immediately.
Currently, the F-16 fighters allocated to Ukraine are also in Romania – at the Fetești air base on the border with Moldova. As soon as the South Korean pilots go there, this will be an indicator of the imminent use of these aircraft in Ukraine. In addition to the F-16 pilots, pilots of South Korean T-50 combat training aircraft, which are used in the southern army as light attack aircraft, have arrived at the air base in the commune of Mikhail Kogalniceanu. It is assumed that these aircraft may be useful as hunters for “Geraniums” in the protection of the Odessa port.
Interestingly, the UK also reported earlier on training 200 F-16 pilots for Ukraine. Here, I think it should be clarified that the British Air Force does not have any F-16 aircraft at all. There are a hundred Typhoons and about 30 F-35s in the B modification (short takeoff and vertical landing). Britain’s basic fighter aviation school, School No. 4 of the Royal Air Force, barely graduates about 30 pilots a year for its own needs. In total, the UK needs about 130 RAF pilots annually, with a conditionally operational fleet of 800 units (including transport aircraft, helicopters, etc.).
That is, the turnover of personnel is simply insane. At the same time, from year to year the country trains fewer and fewer active pilots. The basis of training is “flights” on simulators – six flight schools lack real flying equipment. For example, the UK does not have an F-16 simulator.
To transition to the F-35B, the country still hopes for training in US centers. But even with a partnership class of A (i.e. priority), the only US Navy training center that trains F-35B pilots has trained only 15 pilots for England (according to other sources, 19). And if you consider that training has been going on since 2013, that comes out to less than two pilots per year.
At the same time, England plans to buy 140 F-35B. Given the existing terms for training pilots, the country will have to wait for them for more than 50 years for training. How, under these conditions, the British managed to prepare 200 pilots for Ukraine in a little over a year is a big mystery. Either the British have accomplished a feat, or they are openly lying. Decide for yourself.
In general, no matter how you look at it, it turns out that today in the entire conventional Western bloc, only South Korea has a real reserve of experienced pilots. This country is the only one that complies with current NATO standards for maintaining the combat readiness of its aircraft fleet. Currently, independent estimates suggest that the ROK Air Force has about 170 active pilots for its 140 F-16s. To this, you must also add another 100 or so for the two-seat F-15s. Also, there are about 400 pilots in close reserve.
Thus, the only country that is really capable of sending pilots to Ukraine now is South Korea. Considering that almost the entire 155th Fighter Squadron (and part of the 123rd Squadron – 20th Air Wing) has arrived in Romania, the Koreans are very serious about fighting. Therefore, I can assume that we will soon see another attempt at escalation on the Ukrainian front.
G7 Banking Giant Joins China’s RMB Payments System, Bypassing USD In Global Trade
What has been the strangest (not most disgusting) thing you’ve found in your home refrigerator?
In a property I had purchased… (vacant, abandoned, and up for auction which strangely, no one wanted it and I was the only person to show up, snatched the entire code-defect property for $500.00 – TO LET EVERYONE KNOW → It was an “unseen purchase” – NO ONE knew where the property was located except for the County it was located. The array of “code violations” was the only there for inspection and review. No one even knew about the property period – that information was all blacked out! I felt great about this and which is why I went for it, glad I did!)
My “suspicions” it was a single or two floor residency, more so near the beach or waterway. Because it was the “Estate of (deceased)” which the heirs never came to claim it (unable to locate the heirs) and it not only fell into negligence, but also disrepair, and the Probate Judge ordered it to be auctioned off, it did come with a “catch”, you had to pay $12,500 to the county (they did the mowing, and removal of 2 dead trees).
Once I paid up, even though I did protest and demanded to know the parcel and plot, it was denied until the payment was made upfront, and the closing (done at the courthouse in the probate) was completed! GRRR!
Once the paperwork was complete, I also had a document for the Judge to sign “extended relief” so the Code Enforcement wouldn’t be all over my neck before I could get anything done! The “extension” was for 2 years!
You can imagine my SHOCK (gut feeling’s a wonderful thing) when after all was said and done, and the Judge came in, reviewed, and signed it all off and made an “exceptions ruling” by having the clerk extend the Code extension to 5 years! (YAY ME!) The secretary had the house keys, and the old “remote” for garage door (batteries were removed -glad they did). I was warned that while the doors were intact, the keys and remote may not be functional. Then the property was presented to me! WOW! WOW! WOW!
The property was a waterfront with its own deck, dock and davits. From the report, it appeared that someone had “parked their boat” on the dock. It was up to me to notify the City Police (Judge provided me the photos) to prosecute for “illegal docking” to “trespassing” or I could have it towed away at the Boat Owner’s expense! I did ask “Who owns the boat based on the alpha numeric serial?” The secretary handed me the paperwork – it appeared that “no one owned the boat” and it also revealed the decal had expired 17 years ago!
Before I left the office, I asked this one thing “How long was the property vacant?” Secretary blurted it out, it’s been empty since 1959, when the homeowner passed. I gathered all documentations, since it was late in the day, I decided to head out bright and early the next morning. I did not have power restored yet, but I did notify the Power Company that I must check the electrical before I can have the power turned on, same went with the water.
It wasn’t far from where I was residing, less than 5 miles away (Big Bonus)! Since my parents were taking my son out to a Park (he spent the night with them), and I was off; I just could not sleep. About 4:15 am, I left my house, locked it up and took the work truck and headed over to the other property.
Well, apparently it’s gated community, the Security REFUSED to let me enter, where HE called the police, which I TOLD HIM TO! Well, when the Police arrived, they got after the Security Guard, I am the property owner, but the Guard argued “Her name is not on the list, therefore I am within my rights to decline!” THEY MADE HIM OPEN THE GATE, I did ask for the Officer to escort me.
This is where it gets pretty interesting, that property is NOT a part of that HOA! (Home Owner’s Association) In fact, that property was there before the HOA existed! I am glad I had the Officer with me because the HOA barricaded the road (access to my property) with concrete pilings! That is 100% illegal! Since I had my work truck, I was able to chain it and move it where I could get in and out!
Upon doing so, several HOA Board members who were rising up spied this and ran outside with their Pajamas or Robe, ordering me “ARRESTED”! Believe it or not “they” tried so hard to get me “arrested for trespassing” to you name it! That Officer had to ask for back ups.
They were going to BLOCK me from access, and I reminded them “this is a public road, you cannot block access – entry and exit thereof, it is illegal”. That Officer also FORCED the President to put my name on the list. They wanted $9,500.00 to do it, for me to “pay” for their guard, the annual decal, etc. Until I said “I am NOT a part of your HOA. And if you refuse or deny me access. I will have you arrested! Period!”
Officers told them they cannot refuse or charge me. If they had a problem with that, they could take it up in Civil (court).
Once I arrived to the place, it kind of took me back to the “haunted house”, it was a two story on elevated land (which I later learned, it was built on top of an ancient Indian mound). I was a bit surprised to see the water was on (I guess it was never turned off).
First things first, since the sun was rising, I walked around the outside perimeters, and there was overgrown shrubbery everywhere! To many folks if they went with me on that day, they would have told me “YOU ARE A NUT CASE! YOU NEED TO BE ADMITTED! (Mental Hospital)”
I walked over to the deck, which was not too bad of a shape, it can be easily repaired, and went on the boat, it was clear it was abandoned, someone must had thought it was associated with the property and docked it there, the engine was gone, everything else was intact.
This had a perfect view of sunrise. With Mangroves growing on the left and right, it was filled with birds, fishes where swimming along. I did find a fishing pole in the boat, decided to grab a fiddler crab and toss the line in and see what I would catch, and I caught almost immediately a nice a little over 4 pound nice fat Sheepshead.
I filet it, wrapped it in newspaper, and put it in the cooler (where I had ice). With the sun nice and bright, I entered through the back door (sliding glass). I felt like I just walked into a time machine, the place was virtually untouched and all dated back into the 50s’ era. One of the things I love so much is the Sputnik Lights (which hung over the dining room table) and the huge Sunburst Clock that hung above the fireplace.
All the furniture were draped with bed sheets. It was quite clear that no one had ever been inside at all. The Kitchen Appliance – refrigerator, stove, ovens (overhead and range), sink, etc were all fashionable “avocado green”. They did not seem like they’ve ever been in use, because they were so pristine! I was slightly amused by the Microwave (those things were HUGE).
While walking around the 1st floor, I proceeded up the stairs to the second floor. So it seemed that one bedroom was a “Rat” paradise, the only major problem of the entire house. Never mind to the 1st floor bathroom being Aqua-Blue with Blue Floral Toilet paper (original), the upstairs bathroom was “Popular Pink” with flooring being black and white titles (checkerboard). I checked all the piping, turned the water on (no leaks), flushed toilets. Then I went to the master bedroom.
Oh my goodness, the Master Bedroom was not only huge but almost like a “house within a house”. It had its own living room, bar, the RCA (big) Stereo with Television – all in one (very high end) which was solid state, color, and plus had AM/FM radio plus Record Player. It had a small “kitchenette”, which the entire theme on that floor was Country Western…. until I walked into the double doors (each had their own walk-in closet and straight way led to the master bathroom.
I think my eyes were blown out, it was the traditional YELLOW, YELLOW AS YELLOW CAN BE! So bright, that it was blinding! If you were a problem person who couldn’t wake up in the morning, I could bet “ALL IN” that you will BE AWAKE if you entered into that bathroom! Yes, it was bright and cheery, however, way too much YELLOW! Yellow Bathtub, Yellow Tiles, Yellow Toilet, Yellow Sink, Yellow Counter, Yellow everything! To make things worse – they had LIME GREEN FLOORING with matching cover for toilet! ACK! Some folks would call it “Very Loud” – which is another way of putting it.
While yes, the electrical lines were cloth, and when I located the power box, it was on fuse, so I went outside and removed the meter, and installed breakers, and strangely, the landline phone was still “operational”! HA! Had several landline phones and a couple of wall phones. I was able to dial out and call the power company to come out to turn the power on.
They had a linesman in the area and he was over here within the next 35 minutes, and power was back on. I had all breakers – OFF, and I was going to turn them on – one by one (the panel had information as what the fuses were associated it, so I kept it the same, only that it was breakers).
Before I turned the breakers on to the refrigerators, hot water tank, 50s’ styled Central Air Conditioner. I first went to flush the hot-water tank, and it was refilled. I have no idea why they had the thermostat set for 235 degrees, but I lowered it to 100 degrees, flipped the breaker on, monitoring it as it was right next to the laundry tub. I had the Electric meter right there and the hot water tank was fine, no leaks, amps were correct, volts were correct. It did not appear that there were any heating elements damaged.
Now with the sun coming up, the heat was coming in, so the next thing I did was crank the old Lennox Central System, after I checked and found the Freon a little low, put the Freon in. I was expecting a huge whiff of musky air, and surprisingly, there were none! Thankful for that. Made sure the Air Filters were all intact (which were reusable), checked the temps with the temp monitor. Pretty good. There was one window that was broken (which gave the rats access to that bedroom floor), I boarded it up with Plywood to deal with the window later.
Then the range was turned on (all electric, no gas) and it worked like a charm, but knowing its age, more than likely I will have to re-insulate both ovens, since insulation crumbles with age. Now, I had a 55 gallon contractor bag and the old steel garbage can. I hooked up the commercial fan, this part was something I dreaded → opening the refrigerator door and freezer door.
In the kitchen – I opened it, fearing the worst only to be shocked that IT WAS 100% Empty! Never used! Was very happy with that, put the Commercial Freezer thermometer in and the refrigerator thermometer in. I could hear it purr. Stayed in the kitchen for a bit. Once I flipped the lights on, boom, 2 light bulbs blew out (HA!) I could see why they blew out, they were 100 watt flood light bulbs!
You do not need 100 watt lights up there in the kitchen! 40 watt or 60 watt is fine! So I flipped the lights off, and went to the work truck and pulled out a case of 40 watt bulbs, and changed it, and found 12 flood lights, with 2 burned out on the kitchen counter! Turned the lights back on and much better and decided that the one over the kitchen sink should be a 60 watt, turned the lights off and removed the 40 watt and replaced it with a 60 watt.
YES! That’s the way it should be. So I bagged those flood lights and threw out the 2 burned out ones. Decided to raid the cabinets. It was loaded, with crystals (glasses), fine china, genuine silverware (tarnished) and “everyday silverware” in their own drawers. Pots and pans, all to the 50s’ era, brand new, never been used. The kitchen had “hidden appliance doors”, so I opened one, and out came the blender – a 50s’ Sunbeam (I love those blenders). Then opened the other one and out came the coffee percolator. Right above the coffee maker were coffee mugs and coffee (individual packages) and unopened Coffee creamer (dry). Brewed myself a cup of coffee (which was very good, and I put those in the refrigerator to keep them fresh).
Resumed checking the Lennox to make sure no Freon was leaking, pulled the refrigerator out and checked that to make sure the compressor wasn’t burning up and no Freon leaking. It was 100% perfect, both were purring like they were brand spanking new!
Satisfied how the first floor was going, went up to the Master Bedroom, dragging the old steel garbage can, I was going to clean up the 2nd bedroom (which faced west), and decided not to, but go to the master bedroom kitchenette and turn the small range on (it was an apartment styled range, small, but ample), and you could see it was used. Ran perfectly, no issues, then the refrigerator was purring, I decided to … well… my mistake, I should had made sure the fan was up there and windows opened.
I nearly gagged! I slammed that refrigerator door so quick and ran to the double sliding glass doors (which led to the outside deck) and threw up over the balcony! (Lord have mercy if anyone was intruding and was right there!)
Once I stopped vomiting, I immediately went down stairs and grabbed the small commercial blower (it was in the garage, and tested it, it worked fine) and moved the couch so that the fan would blow out to the sliding glass doors and not flood the house with stench! I then returned to my truck and grabbed the Haz Mat outfit and mask, doubled up on the gloves.
I was debating if I should just literally toss the refrigerator over the deck, after when I opened the freezer and the refrigerator door (moderate apartment size, smaller than the Standard) quickly! It was a Penicillin factory in there! Food left there was beyond spoiled, decayed, and rotten, but the fungus was so thick it was absurd! (The only positive thing I could say about that is “University Science lab would have loved this!”)
It was so bad, that I had to pull out tarps, so that all the spores would go outside and no where in the house. Even with the mask with all the filters, I could still smell it a little bit. It took me nearly 3 hours to clean it all out, and the stuff were triple bagged. I left that refrigerator unplugged, and sprayed it heavily with Commercial Bleach. I had to put a tarp over me outside so I could dump all the Haz Mat stuff I wore into the bag and sealed it.
There was a dumpster (that belonged to the defunct Sanitation Department) that had a lock on it, that company has not been in business since 1974! So I grabbed my bolt cutters, broke the lock, and it was empty, rusting in one corner (small hole), so I dumped everything in there and slammed the metal lid down, and placed a good sized boulder on top.
It was then when I noticed the mailbox, walked over to it. It was packed with mail and packages, the postmarked date seen was May 09, 1959. (The owner passed away in February of that year.) From that landline (which was still active), I phoned my parents to let them know I would be heading their way to pick up my son, but they stated that they wanted to keep him one more night, they had so much fun at Lowery Park Zoo, that they wanted to go to Busch Gardens. I could hear my son in the background saying “MOMMYYYYYY! PLEASE!!! PLEASE!!! “ I okayed it, but I also let them know I wasn’t at home-home, I had brought another property and was cleaning it out, going to sell it for profit.
They weren’t interested in what “I” was doing, but rather what they were going to do “tomorrow”. Since my husband was on the road, I also phoned the Company (we owned the trucking company) to let them know if they needed me, to page me. Well, my secretary asked me “Why are you calling from xxxx’s house?” DUH! Blonde moment! I totally forgot that my Company has Caller ID, so I had to ask her what the number was that I was calling from … she gave it to me.
I spent the night at the property. Decided to cook the Sheepshead that I caught earlier, and made myself canned corn and canned green beans (NOTE: As long as those cans are not dented, leaking, they last forever, the taste itself will decline, but they are still eligible!)
This folks is why I always have a change of clothes, and travel sized stuff! I took a nice long hot bath, these tubs were oversized. I also want to add, I slept very good, insomuch, I took the king size mattress with me and threw out our old ones! This was in bedroom number one, the one that faces to the rising sun. Bedroom two faces sunset.
The roof was fine (tin), which I had the tin refinished. The front copper door had to be realigned, all 50s’ era carpet was removed, and the original Terrazzo flooring was polished to a spiffy shine. I left the property in its original state. While I took the Sunburst clock, the Sputnik Lights over the original dining room table (seats 10, and expands to 14 with table leaves) stayed put.
I acquired ownership of the boat and had it renewed, but another person wanted it and brought it off from me. Of major interest, I already had 6 people lined up wanting to buy the property! I sold it to the couple who wanted to keep the house completely in its original state (50s’ era with the Country Western Theme), they weren’t going to bring anything, but were a bit miffed that I removed the Sunburst Clock (MINE! ALL MINE!) and they went treasure hunting to find another one!
The only thing they wanted OUT of the garage was the Wringer Washer and the very old GE Dryer, they brought a Whirlpool Washer/Dryer set which was the only “new” thing that was in the property. I kept the landscape as wild as it is, with the exception of the front yard (approximately 80 x 170 feet curved, where the driveway is in the middle, the sides of the house had 10 feet grass with the wild mangroves and native shrubs and native trees growing freely, untouched and unspoiled.
They DID NOT want me to rebuild the deck, they were going have it torn down and hire someone to install a bigger deck, where they can dock their future boat and have their kids and their nieces, nephews, grand-kids fishing, and have a deck with table. I did recommend a floating deck (that rises and sinks with the tide).
YES, the HOA filed lawsuit against me, but I won in court easily, in addition, I had the new owners present so they would be well protected. HOA hated me, every single bit of me! Fast forward 15 years later, the guard shack was removed, the gated community was no more.
My son and I did visit them 17 years after they purchased it from me, I was hoping it remained unspoiled and wild. Once I arrived to their driveway. I was shocked to find “concrete block wall” with a huge electric gate. I knew they still owned the property, but I had to get out and go to the speaker, buzz them up and they let me in.
After a few hellos, and some hugs, I was tinkled pink that they still left it in its original state! They still had the original furniture, and while the refrigerator (kitchen) died, they had a new one in “retro” color (customized). The range was still all original and she told me she was going to have the insulation done (after when I did it prior to the sale of the property).
The flooring was still all terrazzo, yet I could not contain myself seeing they’ve accomplished in finding a sunburst clock, it was 3 times bigger than the one I took! However, I noticed there was a “room addition” and he told me that they were not particular fond of the stairs due to her bad hip and his bad back, they decided to move everything that was upstairs to the room downstairs.
I could detect my son was a bit “jealous”, he was wide-eyed, and just practically loved every nook and cranny of it (yes, he got into everything)! Since their son and daughter in law were visiting, he had them to show me what they did to the 2nd floor which was totally upgraded and remodeled. It was no longer a 3 bedroom upstairs but a 4 bedroom. The Master bathroom had been reconfigured, so that a 3rd bedroom was built in and the Master upstairs which was reduced in size but still spacious, had one walk in closet instead of a huge “his and hers” and their own private bathroom. They retained SOME of the yellow, but toned it completely down. The 3rd, 2nd, and 1st bedroom has a shared full sized bathroom with double sink.
The entire upstairs was remodeled and upgraded to a “Florida’ Beach theme, they managed to keep the “Pinky Pink” sink, toilet, and the tiles (but the flooring was redone to a sand toned flooring) along with the countertop which was now “sand toned” – beachy feel. The Pink was ultimately toned down!
When their son noticed I kept staring (it’s a wall there now) and groaning. I told him why, and all about that kitchenette especially that refrigerator!
I missed seeing the Aqua bathroom on the first floor, and to my delight, they kept it! They were able to tone that bright aqua blue with decor and they told me they had to remove the bathroom sink and counter because it cracked, they were able to find a 50s’ era porcelain sink and had it refinished and used that one.
To the room addition, I could not help but smile, they kept the entire Country Western Theme, in fact, there was more Country than the original upstairs. After spending several hours with the family, listening to their story about why they had spent large amount of money for a concrete brick wall and gate. Was due to the HOA and harassment.
When it was time to leave only to be ended with my son snapping at me “WHY DID YOU SELL THIS HOUSE FOR? WE COULD HAVE LIVED HERE FOREVER!” Do I have regrets? I do, to a degree! But I’d hate to have to pay the insurance and property taxes, it would be extremely expensive to live there!
EDITED TO ADD: several people sent me a message asking me what was in the mailbox and what did I do with it? The mailbox was a big oversized custom made (concrete and metal). The box was very roomy and long. I estimate (by memory, because I never truly measured it) was about 36″ long, 14 inches wide and approximately 16 inches high).
I brought the mail inside, there were utility bills that were past due, a Montgomery Ward Catalog and Sears Roebuck and Co Catalog, for upcoming Fall stuff with “Christmas Previews” for 1959. There were a couple of “USPS Chain Mail” Scams, where you send $1.00 to the people on the list, and remove the top one and send it off to 10 more people – type scam. An Invitation to the Jerry Lewis Muscular Dystrophy Foundation gala. Bunch of ads, and junk mail. Magazines: Reader’s Digest, Better Homes & Gardens, Beach Living, Country Living, Outdoorsman, Popular Photography, Fishing Digest. I left those on the coffee table in the living room (after I read them first)!
There were a couple of bills – Sax Fifth Avenue Store Credit Card, JM Byrons Store Card, GE Mastercard, Discover, and 2 Visa Credit Cards. Yes, I opened those, and only the Sax Fifth Avenue had a balance due of $101 and some change, the others had zero balances. I turned those over to the Probate (Court House) which the Secretary was instructed to make sure they were all closed. The Utility Bills were turned over to the Utility where they originated. They double checked to make sure the account was closed. Ma Bell (long distant provider) no longer existed, and GTE thought they had closed that account years ago (they weren’t aware it was still activated) which I retained the telephone number associated with the property (it then was transferred over to the new owners).
If anyone remembers REDDY KILOWATT – the Mascot for (defunct) Florida Power? Yeah, I kept that old utility bill on the refrigerator. It had a bill due for $47.40 – due date April 10th, 1959 (which was a Friday).
American-Style Vanilla Biscotti
Here it is, the simplest, easiest biscotti recipe you’ll ever follow. Biscotti bake twice rather than once, and thus take a bit longer start-to-finish than normal drop cookies. But the dough is put together exactly like drop cookie dough. And if your kitchen skills include shaping a meatloaf and slicing a loaf of bread, you’ve got what it takes to make delicious, gorgeous biscotti.
Yield: 3 dozen 3 1/2 inch biscotti, when cut crosswise. Or about 1 1/2 dozen biscotti cut on the diagonal; the exact yield will depend upon just how much of a slant you cut them on.
Ingredients
- 6 tablespoons (3 ounces) butter
- 2/3 cup (4 3/4 ounces) granulated sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 to 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 2 large eggs
- 2 cups (8 1/2 ounces) King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease (or line with parchment) one large (about 18 x 13 inch) cookie sheet.
- In a medium size bowl, beat the butter, sugar, salt, vanilla extract and baking powder until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Beat in the eggs; the batter may look slightly curdled. At low speed of your mixer, add the flour, stirring until smooth; the dough will be sticky.
- Plop the dough onto the prepared cookie sheet. Shape it into a log that’s about 14 inches long x 2 1/2 inches wide x 3/4 inch thick. Straighten the log, and smooth its top and sides; a wet spatula or wet bowl scraper works well here. Note: For extra-long, bistro-style biscotti, pat the dough into a lightly greased 12 x 5 1/2 inch biscotti pan.
- Bake the dough for 25 minutes. Remove it from the oven, and allow it to cool on the pan anywhere from 10 to 25 minutes; just work it into the schedule of whatever else you’re doing in the kitchen. Using a spray bottle filled with room-temperature water, lightly but thoroughly spritz the log, making sure to cover the sides as well as the top. Softening the crust just this little bit will make slicing the biscotti much easier.
- Reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees F. Wait another 5 minutes, then use a serrated knife to cut the log crosswise into 1/2 to 3/4 inch slices. Or cut the biscotti on the diagonal—for fewer, longer biscotti. As you’re slicing, be sure to cut straight up and down, perpendicular to the pan; if you cut unevenly, biscotti may be thicker at the top than the bottom, and they’ll topple over during their second bake.
- Set the biscotti on edge on the prepared cookie sheet. Return the biscotti to the oven, and bake them for 25 to 30 minutes, until they feel very dry and are beginning to turn golden. They’ll still feel a tiny bit moist in the very center, if you break off a piece; but they’ll continue to dry out as they cool. Remove the biscotti from the oven, and transfer them to a rack to cool.
Notes
Variations: Add up to 2 cups nuts, dried fruit (dried, not fresh), or chips to the dough, along with the flour. Adjust the spice to suit the add-in, if desired; e.g., add 1 teaspoon cinnamon with 1 cup chopped dried apple and 1 cup diced pecans. Or substitute hazelnut, butter-rum, or your favorite flavor for the vanilla extract. A classic Italian anise biscotti is made with 1/2 teaspoon anise extract (or 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon anise oil, to taste) and 1 tablespoon fennel seeds
Fiancée’s Plan To Make Me A Permanent ATM Backfires When I Drain Our Accounts And Leave Town!
MM going classical
TikTok Users Discuss RedNote and China
Can you give an example of someone getting bullied in school and then they come back as adults and get revenge on their bullies?
wasn’t much bullying by other guys, i went to a smaller school and there wasn’t much bullying amongst the guys.
girls were a different story – they treated different guys, myself included, not so well. ridicule, laughing, making fun of, alienating, etc. but nothing changes a woman’s perception more than finding out that guy became successful.
high school reunions – 5th 10th, 15th. not so much any ‘revenge’ at the 10th – these girls were still married to the jocks, the homecoming kings, the sports star from the neighboring town and still thinking they were ‘all that’ and had all that. ‘we’ the ridiculed population, were just starting to climb the success ladder. by the 15th and 20th, the divorced, disgruntled, unhappy, ‘stuck in this small town’, ‘is this all there is’ comments and mentalities were starting to show. there were differences in the parking lot – higher end cars were starting to surface. some attendees were staying at nicer hotels rather than crashing on couches and in small bedrooms of old friends still in the town.
by then – there were a couple of bmws, porches, audis – some probably financed – in the parking lot along with a few 10–15 year old cars and some 150,000 mile muscle cars rusting out, dented, torn interiors of some (certainly not all) of the jocks and homecoming royalty and their high school sweet hearts they married – but still the pride and bragged about for that time they beat joe blow in a drag race with their now rusted out muscle cars were still hot topics.
but there were also the ‘well, i was thinking about coming to xxxx with the kids/grandkids this summer, maybe you could show us some of the sights’ conversations started. they weren’t dismissed, rather they were met with, ‘absolutely i’d be happy to, hey! even better than that, give me some notice and i can make room so you won’t have to pay for hotels
three different classmates ended up coming to town, over the next few summers – kids/grandkids in tow – to make room was simple as the house has 4 extra bedrooms – two with private bathrooms, only one with a great mountain view. i let them choose which they wanted. while visiting, all three ended up ‘making a move’ only to be politely turned down. [only one was still physically attractive – and damned attractive to be honest]. to get them into the mountains or sightseeing comfortably, i rented a tahoe as neither of my vehicles is large enough for 4, 5, 7 riders plus bags plus skis or bikes etc
at the 20th and 25th reunions, all of a sudden i find i’m one of the ‘popular’ guys. is your house really that big or is xxxx exaggerating? why do you have two cars that cost that much? don’t the payments kill you? you’re lying – you have to be making payments. how much did it cost to join that c club xxx said you took them to? how much are the monthly dues? she said your closet is bigger than her spare bedrooms, etc etc.
more than one classmate (male and female hinting) around about a ‘small loan’ they were looking for wondering if i knew anyone who wanted to get some interest income
living well really is the best revenge
This is WHAT WILL HAPPEN IF Taiwan Pushes for Independence
Blunt. Watch it.
We are in historical times…
American netizens are flocking to another Chinese App Xiaohongshu (Little Red Book). Will Xiaohongshu become the next Chinese social app banned in the US?
This is what Xiaohongshu looks like:
But American media outlets like Forbes are trying to make people believe that Xiaohongshu is like this:
Even though Americans and Chinese have had tens of thousands of friendly talks on Xiaohongshu, there are still some American “elites” who engage in this kind of “path dependence”, making unfounded accusations against Xiaohongshu, calling a social media platform “threat to democracy”, and even imagining the “true definition” of Xiaohongshu on their own.
They must have started to figure out how to ban Xiaohongshu. But actually, TikTok is not that important, and neither is Xiaohongshu. What matters is this “momentum”. Xiaohongshu has become the NO.1 on the download list in many countries. This is the choice of the American people themselves and also the choice of the people all over the world. You can’t stop people’s will.
Please allow me to share this picture I found on Xiaohongshu again. I don’t really believe that the US government will ban Xiaohongshu. Even if such a situation were to happen, there’s no need to worry. If Americans can switch from TikTok to Xiaohongshu, can’t they switch from Xiaohongshu to other Chinese apps? Having more such direct exchanges between the people of the two countries can only be beneficial for shattering the false narratives fabricated by the West.
Americans Are Taking Over Red Note (Xiaohongshu)
Have your neighbors ever called the cops on you for something ridiculous?
We have an apartment complex behind our back yard. At one point there was a family with 2 kids (boy and girl) that lived in one of the apartments. More than once I would look out the window and see them playing on our lawn and our kids’ swing set without asking permission, as if it were a public playground. One day when my kids were playing, the apartment kids came down and the girl started yelling at my boys to get off the swing set because SHE wanted to play on it. My husband told them in no uncertain terms to get off our property and go home. Had she not yelled at my kids on OUR property, we would have let them play.
One day the boys had come home and left the garage door open. The next thing we know, my husband sees the girl come into the garage, grabbing the younger son’s bike and start pushing it up the hill to the apartments. He ran after her and grabbed the bike, telling her sternly to let go. The girl’s mother saw my husband trying to get the bike away and called the cops. When the cops came and asked what was going on, “mom” said “this man is trying to take my daughter’s bike away!” So the cop turned to my husband and asked his version and he rightly said “This is my son’s bike. She walked into the garage and took it and I am trying to get it back.” They told the mother to keep her daughter off of other people’s property and out of their garages.
Another time the same woman called the cops on my older son (probably in 4th grade at the time), accusing him of going into the apartment lobby and kicking in the front of the soda machine. When the cops came, they looked at the damage and at my son and told her flat out that there is no way a kid his size could have kicked out the front of the machine. He then warned her that if she called them on us again, SHE would get the citation. They moved soon afterwards.
The funny thing was that WE had the absolute right to call the cops on her kids at least a dozen times and we never did.